Vespidae

Key Characters:

Members of this predaceous family are commonly known as paper and potter wasps, yellow jackets, and hornets. These insects have a distinct ‘U-shape’ to the posterior margin of the pronotum and their forewings fold in half longitudinally. Many species of Vespidae are eusocial, living in a colony comprised of three castes. These castes include queens, female workers, and drones. Only the workers are able to sting.